The letter of James, the brother of our Lord, is not a popular book, which is surprising because it is so practical. We live in a practical age, so practical that most people are usually impatient with pure doctrine. Teach about justification, regeneration or some other largely theological theme, and they push you to get on to such subjects as ‘How to Raise Your Children,’ ‘How to Have a Happy Marriage,’ ‘How to Apply Biblical Principles to the Work Place (and Get Rich Doing It),’ and others like these. But if that is so and if James is a practical book, how is it that James is not more often read and thought about by Christians? I think the problem is just that. It is practical, too practical in dealing with our own personal shortcomings, errors and sins! And it is so direct that we cannot easily dismiss or escape from James’ teaching. This reminds me of the story of a southern preacher, who was inveighing against sin. He preached against the sin of gambling, and a woman seated in the front row was obviously quite pleased. ‘Preach it, brother,’ she cried. Next the preacher denounced the sin of drunkenness. ‘Amen!’ the woman shouted. When he got to dancing and flirting she was ecstatic. ‘Hallelujah,’ she exclaimed. Then the preacher mentioned gossiping, and the woman leaned over to her neighbor and said, ‘Now he’s not preachin’, he’s meddlin’.’ I suspect that many people who begin to read James suspect before very long that he is indeed meddlin’ with their sins and put the book down. After teaching that really is practical, it is always pretty nice to get back to ‘just doctrine’. But we can’t do that, at least not if we are truly Christians. We cannot forget that at the beginning of Romans 8, after one of the most intensely doctrinal sections of the entire Bible, the Apostle Paul writes of the grace of God in salvation, concluding that it is so we might live holy lives, which is an immensely practical matter. Those verses say, ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit’ (Rom. 8:1-4). Similarly, after the next doctrinal section of the same letter, chapters 9-11, Paul applies his doctrine, saying in pointed language, ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will’ (Rom. 12:1, 2). It is that way in nearly all Paul’s letters. The great doctrinal sections are followed by pointed, practical applications of what he has been teaching. James is not as overtly ‘theological’ as Paul, of course. He must have been a very ‘down-to-earth’ man, as we say. But his practical teaching is based on sound biblical doctrine, and his application of the Bible to daily living is something Paul would have himself heartily approved. The questions are: Will we approve? and, Will we profit from what we find in this epistle? I have tried to suggest the many areas in which we need to profit by the colloquial language of the chapter titles: ‘Why Did God Let This Happen?’ ‘I Don’t Want to Be a Fanatic,’ ‘My Friends Are Special,’ ‘Sure, I Believe, So What?,’ ‘At Least I’m No Hypocrite!,’ ‘It’s His (Her) Fault,’ ‘How Much Insurance Do I Need?’ ‘Believe Me, Rich Is Better,’ ‘The Lord Helps Those Who... ,’ and ‘Prayer Is for Weak People.’ These chapters were originally prepared as messages delivered to the evening congregations of Tenth Presbyterian Church. They were later broadcast as a special summer series for the Bible Study Hour radio network. James
Montgomery Boice |
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How well does your public Christian face match the truth of your private internal life? Didn't think it did! It doesn't matter how enthusiastic your embrace of Christian doctrine and beliefs, it is how those beliefs are translated into action that shows the honesty of your profession of faith. Many talk the talk but fewer walk the walk. Fed up with hypocrisy? Then take a little time each week to study the book of James with Jim Boice and change the lie at the center of your life for fulfillment.
Above Material Copyright © 1994 James Montgomery Boice |
